MALE MENOPAUSE; ENOUGH TO GIVE ANY MAN PAUSE

MALE MENOPAUSE … WOULD IT HELP TO CALL IT ANDROPAUSE?
“IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT. I DON’T WANT IT.”

Every man wants to live life to the fullest, but life’s “halfway stage” can see a significant number of them entering a phase called male menopause. Male menopause has been called many things, and if we’re going to get real about it, an abundance of words that are limited to 4 letters. But male menopause is really just the more common name for “andropause”. Still doesn’t sound great, right? “Andras” in Greek means human male and “pause” in Greek a cessation. So literally “andropause” is defined as a syndrome associated with a decrease in sexual satisfaction or a decline in a feeling of general well-being with low levels of testosterone in men as they age.

FORTUNATELY, MALE MENOPAUSE ISN’T LIKE FEMALE MENOPAUSE
“THAT’S SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?”

Well, somewhat. Andropause differs from female menopause in several ways. For one thing, not all men experience it. For another, it doesn’t involve a complete shutdown of your reproductive organs. In women, ovulation ends and hormone production plummets during a relatively short period of time. This is known as female menopause: the “change” which some men would refer to as “mentalpause”. Andropause can cause men to go through their own “change”, but the consequences aren’t as clear.

IT’S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST SEX AND YOUR MAN PARTS
“REALLY? COULD IT BE ANY WORSE THAN THAT?”

Testosterone, which is produced in the testes, is usually thought of as the powerhouse hormone that makes men, men. According to the Mayo Clinic, most men’s testosterone levels peak in adolescence and early adulthood. In their 30’s or 40’s (and sometimes even younger), those levels tend to decline by about 1 percent per year. By age 70, your testosterone level might reach closer to 50 percent of your peak level. Regrettably, this process can cause a lilt in your libido and the ability to “lift-off” when it comes to sex. So yes, it’s about sex. But more important to know, is that it’s more.

LET’S TALK SEX, FIRST “YES, LET’S”.

OK, we’ll get right to it. The sexual side effects of andropause include:

  • Loss of libido
  • Less strong erections
  • Decreased spontaneous erections
  • Ejaculatory issues
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Testicular shrinkage
  • Infertility

But settle down. It doesn’t happen to everyone. And all of it doesn’t happen to one man. Also, the severity of these issues varies from man to man. It’s not all bad. By a long shot. You should just be informed.

THEN THERE’S YOUR PSYCHE. (OH, AND THE REST OF YOUR BODY)
“ENOUGH ALREADY. YOU’RE KILLING ME…”

We’ll assure you again; you should just be informed.

In some cases, depression may be the first symptom of andropause that you notice. Feelings of unexplained sadness or anxiety. In fact, some men go to psychiatrists first, when it might be that they need to get their hormone levels checked first. Low testosterone can also cause:

  • Reduced muscle mass and weakness
  • Low energy
  • Low bone density (yep, osteoporosis)
  • Height loss
  • Insomnia
  • Increased body fat
  • Decreased motivation
  • Incontinence

And here’s a flash; hot flashes and night sweats

BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO THERE…
“SO WHERE DO I GO?” WHERE CAN I GET THE HELP I NEED?”

That part’s easy; Denver Hormone Health. The hormone professionals at DHH know hormones inside and out. Every hormone. Including testosterone. They have years of experience treating men as they wander unknowingly through the maze of male menopause. It can be somewhat uncomfortable to some men to talk to their doctors about the sex stuff. But the experts at DHH will put you right at ease. They listen. Ask questions. Encourage you to ask questions about anything and everything. Then they test your testosterone levels to pinpoint what’s going on. Are you really going through andropause, or could it be some other medical issue? If it is andropause, they create a treatment plan to balance your testosterone with safe, natural bioidentical hormones. Which they’ll also discuss in every detail. Put the balance back in your life. Call Denver Hormone Health for an appointment now.

A HOT FLASH ON PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE

Of course, you know about menopause…the dreaded “M” word. But before we get into menopause, we should talk about its precursor; perimenopause. Many women haven’t even heard of it. Perimenopause refers to the years of hormonal upheaval that precede a woman’s final period. Usually, around age 35, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone (yes, you’ve got it) levels begin to decline and become erratic. Perimenopause varies greatly from one woman to the next. The average duration is three to four years, although it can last just a few months or extend as long as a decade. (10 years? Yikes!) While perimenopause is an extended transitional state, menopause is a point in time, defined by a lack of period for 12 months or more. The average age of menopause onset is 51 years. (But I’m too young to be in menopause!) However, this isn’t the case for everyone. (Not me, not me…please…)

AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR PERIOD WAS A CURSE.

Probably the first thing you think of with menopause are the dreaded hot flashes that can send a woman to an open fridge begging for icy relief. Truth is, nearly 75 percent of peri-menopausal and menopausal women experience hot flashes. But wait…oh, but wait…perimenopause and menopause can be a shipwreck to rival the Titanic:

  • Night sweats
  • Low libido
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Weight gain
  • Hair loss or thinning
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Breast tenderness
  • Fatigue

Sadly, Mother Nature doesn’t always play fair.

MEN AND MENOPAUSE

If you’re unsure what menopause entails, men are mostly clueless. All they know is that their partner can seem possessed. Moods galore, tears out of nowhere, night sweats that send them scrambling from spooning to the dry side of the bed. Insensitivity can rear its ugly head. Yes, “the change” can change things, but the key word in this case is “adapt”. This is a time when men need to communicate, ask questions, be understanding, be supportive. Menopause might not be a party, but it doesn’t mean when it comes to a relationship, the party’s over.                                                                                                               

IT’S NOT ALL IN YOUR HEAD

Perimenopause and menopause can even be misunderstood by doctors. Women are often misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. As a result, millions have been placed on antidepressants unnecessarily, and needlessly placed at risk for prescription additions such as valium and other anti-anxiety medications.  These only mask the symptoms of hormonal imbalances.

HOW TO CHANGE “THE CHANGE OF LIFE”

Without question, perimenopause and menopause can seem like hormonal hell. Not knowing what to do about it or where to go is enough to make any woman crazy. But this doesn’t have to be a time when you feel like your body has gone rogue on you. If you want real help with the hormonal upheavals of perimenopause and menopause, you want to see the hormone experts at Denver Hormone Health.  No one knows more or understands better what you’re going through or how to get your hormones back on track than Denver Hormone Health. With state-of-the-art diagnostic hormone testing, the medical specialists at Denver Hormone Health can determine your hormone levels and create a unique treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. Perimenopause and menopause don’t have to hit the “pause” button on your life. Call Denver Hormone Health for an appointment now. Think of it as a hot flash of genius.

HORMONES AND HEALTH: FEELING AWFUL ALL OVER

Hormones and Health

HYPER-HYPOCHONDRIAC?

“So, hey, how’re you doing?” you might hear.

So, how do you answer?

Uh, let’s see…queasy, jacked up, run-down, rotten, defective, debilitated, blah, bleh, broken, not so hot, woozy, wobbly, stricken, sick, ick, uck, yukky, ucky, a total mess, at a total loss, down and out, out of it, in the dumps…oh heck, get out the thesaurus. Point is, that at different times in our lives, we all go through feeling like dreck (there’s another apt word). Well, the good news is that it just might be that your hormones are unbalanced. Hormones? Oh groan, something else to worry about. (Hold on, hold on…keep reading…)

WHO KNOWS WHAT A HORMONE IS, ANYWAY? (HONESTY, HERE…NO WIKI WANDERING)

in the simplest of terms, hormones are powerful chemical messengers in your body that are constantly traveling around your bloodstream telling your tissues and organs what to do. (And their word is golden.) They control most bodily functions and are essential for every activity of life. The bummer is that you can’t control them on your own. They choose to play “mayhem and misery”, with every inch of your body, and it’s a game you can’t win.

GOLDILOCKS AND THE 50 OR SO HORMONES

There are about 50 different hormones in the body which effect trillions of our cells. Each hormone has a different effect on our body, and each and every one of those hormones can be out of balance at some point or another during our lives. Here’s how the story goes:

“This hormone is too much”, Goldie would say.

“This hormone is too little”, she might claim.

In both cases, with too much or too little of any hormone, even tiny changes can have serious effects throughout your body. From head to toe. To get to “this is just right”, takes fine tuning to get your hormones in a balance that gets you feeling your best. It can be a bear of a problem.

IT’S EVERYWHERE, IT’S EVERYWHERE

So, what causes all these hormone imbalances? To name a few (ok, more than a few) …maybe you should be sitting:

  • Chronic or extreme stress
  • Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
  • Hyperglycemia (overproduction of glucagon (more insulin produced than there is glucose in the blood)
  • Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
  • Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
  • Poor diet and nutrition
  • Being overweight
  • Hormonal replacement or birth controlmedications
  • Abuse of anabolic steroids
  • Benign tumors and cysts(fluid-filled sacks) that affect the endocrine glands
  • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (low levels of cortisol)
  • Endocrine gland injury
  • Severe allergic reactions or infections
  • Cancers that involve endocrine glands
  • Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
  • Iodine deficiency (goiters)
  • Hereditary pancreatitis
  • Turner syndrome (females with only one functioning x chromosome)
  • Prader-Willi syndrome- (what in the…?)
  • Anorexia
  • Exposure to toxins, pollutants, and endocrine disrupting chemicals, including pesticides and herbicides
  • Pituitary cancers

ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SICK

So, what are some symptoms and signs you might be suffering from a hormone imbalance? Don’t leave now, and don’t fly into an apoplectic fit that you have not just one of the following symptoms, but all of them:

  • Tired all the time/no energy
  • Difficulty getting up in the morning
  • Poor sleep
  • Craving for salty or sugary foods
  • Taking more effort to perform everyday tasks and duties
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Decreased ability to handle stress
  • Increased time to recover from illness or injury
  • Light headed when standing up quickly
  • Depression
  • Lack of enjoyment or happiness
  • Weight gain/loss
  • Food intolerance
  • Sinus problems
  • Alcohol intolerance
  • Excessive allergies
  • Anxiety
  • Digestive disorders
  • Dry and thin skin
  • Excessive hunger
  • No hunger
  • Hair loss
  • Unexplained headaches
  • Immune deficiencies
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Infections
  • Liver disorders
  • Chronic pain
  • Inflammation
  • Blood pressure problems
  • Low body temperature
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Mood swings
  • Poor memory
  • PMS
  • Sleep disorders
  • Tender breasts
  • Weakness
  • Difficulty building muscle
  • Cramping
  • Fluid retention
  • Slow metabolism
  • Irritability
  • Chronic illness
  • Unexplained or excessive sweating
  • Changes in sensitivity to cold and heat
  • Very dry skin or skin rashes
  • Changes in blood pressure
  • Changes in heart rate
  • Brittle or weak bones
  • A bunch of different cancers and hard-to-even pronounce maladies

A DIAGNOSIS FOR FAILURE

Certainly, at this point, the biggest thing you’re suffering from is panic. The point is, there are times you don’t feel well, and well, can’t figure it out. So, you might ignore what’s gnawing at your health and try to go your merry way. No way that’s going to work. Finally, it gets to the point it starts to interfere with your life, so you start on a medical merry-go-round of supposed experts subjecting you to tests you couldn’t even attempt to pronounce. Which are followed by enough different diagnoses to puzzle Einstein. Maybe it’s this. Probably it’s that. Could be both. “Clueless” is the overwhelming diagnosis of all their efforts. Google any of it and you’ll be sure you’re going to die. Slowly. Painfully.

GET THOSE HORMONES HUMMING

Something else you probably don’t know, is that there are two types of hormones that can be used in hormone replacement therapy. There are natural bioidentical hormones that have the exact same chemical structure your body produces, so when used, the body doesn’t know the difference. Then there are synthetic hormones patented by Big Pharma. (Big nightmare.) It’s a little too close to one size fits all. And we know how productive that is. Additionally, because synthetic hormones are not created structurally the same as natural hormones, they often lead to uncomfortable side effects. That’s where Denver Hormone Health comes in. All their doctors are skilled and experienced in the ups and downs of hormone imbalances. They use bioidentical hormones, not what could be dangerous synthetic hormones. Instead of using the “hunt-and-peck” method for discovering what imbalances you might have, the doctors at Denver Hormone Health look at your body as a whole. With simple tests they are able to determine where the problems are, and based on the results, create a unique, tailored treatment plan to get you feeling like you’re ready to take on the world. Which is why going to Denver Hormone Health makes all the difference in the world. Make an appointment at Denver Hormone Health now. And get ready to discover balanced hormone heaven.